INTRODUCTIONS, WELCOME TO GUESTS. Rachel Lee expressed her concern for the fate of Sabin Elementary in the boundary changes to come. When a quorum had gathered, Austin Peterson started the meeting.
November minutes approved with one correction
Treasurer’s Report added 14 February:
12-1-12-31-1-0
Balance 12-1-10 $4,233.38
Ad Revenue + 135.00
= 4,368.38
Print Bill -210.00
= 4,158.38
Contact Fee - - 150.38
4,008.38
Dividend + 4.46
Balance 12-31-10 =4,012.84
1/1-1/31/11
Chck - 4.50
16.57
Ad Revenue + 135.00
Dividend + 4.35
New Balance 4,131.12
Pending Chk 220.00-
17.50-
Ad Revenue + 25.00
135.00
Pending debits 237.50
Pending Rev 160.00
169.50 +
projected Feb balance $4300.62
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS.
The Identity Subcommittee announced the new SCA logo and layout for the newsletter. Barbara made the motion to thank Ken Rumbaugh for his work on the logo by comping his ad in the newsletter for a year. Passed unanimously.
Austin passed around the new grant application for the communications money from NECN for $1000. This is money that has come to us automatically in former years from ONI through NECN, though in larger amounts, and has been used for publication of our newsletter. This application process is new. Austin will ask Bill Y. to fill out the application and submit it to NECN.
Austin reported for LUTC that there will be a meeting soon of a group hoping to gain a grant from Architects without Borders (AWB) to revitalize the Sabin triangle at Prescott and 15th.
Barbara reported that the new Welcome Bag Team had a big success in the first month of distribution.
PRESENTATIONS.
Katy Asher from NECN announced that the new Safety and Livability Team (SALT) will convene a Sharing the Road: People on the Move Forum addressing safety for people who walk, ride, and drive, Monday 31 January, 7-9 pm.
Katy said that SALT wants ideas from the neighborhoods about future forums. In that context, Celeste Carey announced that she is recruiting people from Sabin, Vernon, King, and Alameda to deal with Last Thursday alcohol issues separate from other Last Thursday concerns. Contact Celeste if you are interested at
Meeting Facilitation Skills Roundtable January 27th, 7:00pm. Staff and volunteers from Resolutions Northwest will lead activities for neighborhood volunteers interested in brushing up on their facilitation skills. At the NECN office, in the Martin Meeting Room.
Performance reports are due soon. Katy will send the form to Barbara.
AGENDA DISCUSSIONS.
In response to a resident complaint that the realty article in the January 2011 newsletter was too much like advertising, the Board discussed ways to clearly distinguish ads from articles.
Officer Peter Helzer of the North Precinct Neighborhood Response Team gave a favorable report on safety in Sabin. Though property crimes spiked around Christmas and tagging has increased, Sabin is much safer than some other communities within the Coalition.
The Board discussed Barbara Conable’s request to change from chair of the safety committee to the Events Committee. The Board agreed to the change. Barbara will work to recruit a new chair for SCSC, including writing an article for the newsletter. Celeste Carey promised to help and support the new chair.
Suzanne Clark is writing an article about Grain and Gristle, the new restaurant in Sabin on Prescott for the new email newsletter. It may also be used in the paper newsletter. Liberty and Naomi will tag team to write future business spotlight articles.
Clay Veka made a report concerning the Portland Public School’s changes coming to Sabin Elementary, Alameda, Beaumont, and Access. Clay in on the PPS Boundary Advisory Committee of parents and community representatives that will make a recommendation to the PPS Board. Clay reported that, “we have a very divided community.” Some Sabin residents feel passionate about maintaining Sabin's current K-8 grade configuration, because of the continuity, sense of community, teachers knowing students, and because it keeps siblings in the building together. Others feel very strongly about providing Sabin students the opportunity to attend Beaumont, a 6-8 middle school. “There’s no perfect answer,” Clay reports, but the top priority is to provide Sabin residents with a “robust, comprehensive middle school.”
The proposal to move Sabin to a K-5, leave Access at Sabin, and increase the Sabin catchment area (into Alameda) would drastically reduce enrollment at Sabin for the next five to six years. This is because Sabin School would lose all middle school students and only gain about 25 new kindergartners each year. Losing students also means losing school resources. Clay reported a low level of trust in PPS by Sabin parents, so any assurances by PPS to cover the interim cost is suspect. Under this option, Sabin School would also likely lose its Title One funding (>40% of students must be on free/reduced lunch for the school to qualify), which currently funds about 2 full time staffing positions. Sabin parents fear that the initial dip in enrollment at Sabin School will lead to a decline from which it cannot recover.
Austin asked what is wanted from SCA and what should be our role. We will take steps to inform Sabinites of the possible threat to the integrity of their elementary school and encourage residents to get involved in the process, especially by attending the Community Forum January 13th from 6-8pm at Beaumont. People should ask what happens in the next couple of years and whether PPS will provide money to the Sabin school for the transition.
Adjourned 9:00.
Respectfully submitted, Barbara Conable
Sabin Community Association, Land Use and Transportation Committee
Meeting Notes January 11, 2011; 7 pm; 4520 NE 19th Ave.
Present: David Sweet, Ric Alexander, Austin Peterson, Jeff Strang
Green Street Project: Our contract with the City is here! Austin will sign it and Trent will return it so we can get our money and proceed with the project. We hope to complete construction by spring
13th/14th & Fremont: David met last week with Mark Lear and other PBOT officials. They are supportive of a crossing treatment at 14th, in conjunction with a planned neighborhood greenway (formerly bike boulevard) on 14th. They will seek funding from BES for Fremont improvements as a step toward the full project. Scott Batson, a traffic engineer, will draw up a plan for the treatment. It will likely include a “cycle track” like the one installed on 33rd at Going.
Land use review-3236 NE 11th: This is an application for design review in the Sabin/Irvington overlap. The committee agrees that it is a shame that homeowners in our neighborhood have to pay a minimum of $1300 to go through this process for such minor cosmetic changes. If we see many of these we will express our displeasure to the City
Meeting times: We are going to try holding LUTC meetings on the Tuesday before the Board meeting. Next meeting—Tuesday, February 8, 7:00, at David’s house 4520 NE 19th Ave.
Respectfully submitted,
David Sweet
